Science Discovery

2015; 3(6): 71-75

Published online October 22, 2015 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/sd)
doi: 10.11648/j.sd.20150306.15
ISSN: 2331-0642 (Print); ISSN: 2331-0650 (Online)

Experimental Investigation on Weld Ability of Cast Iron

Alie Wube Dametew
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Research and technology Transfer Head, KIOT Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia

Email address:
wubealie@gmail.com, alie20123@gmail.com

To cite this article:

Alie Wube Dametew. IExperimental Investigation on Weld Ability of Cast Iron. Science Discovery. Vol. 3, No. 6, 2015, pp. 71-75.
doi: 10.11648/j.sd.20150306.15

Abstract: Welding cast iron is used in ships, bridges, pressure vessels, industrial machinery, automobile, rolling stock and
many other fields. Problems associated with welding are common issues in these fields. A Study was conducted to investigate
Weldability of grey cast iron, as grey cast iron contains graphite in flake form, carbon can readily be introduced into the weld
pool, causing weld metal embrittlement and Grey cast iron welds are subject to the formation of porosity and the cold cracking
susceptibility of welds. When we observed that gray cast iron is welded non uniform heating and cooling in weld metal and in
base metal generates harder Heat Affected Zone (HAZ), cold crack susceptibility and residual stress in weldement. Different
methods investigate experimentally to minimize above difficulties. Those methods for reducing the effects of above problems
were, minimize base metal dilution, compensate for shrinkage stresses, and the use of low strength filler metals to reduce
cracking without sacrificing overall joint strength. Main while the beast type of arc welding electrodes for welding of grey cast
iron are nickel and nickel-iron types have been used with or without preheating and / or post weld heat treatment. At the same
time Cast iron and steel electrodes must be used with high preheats (530C) to prevent cracking and the formation of hard
deposits. The other mechanisms to improve Weldability of gray cast iron are Pre heating and/or Post heating of the base metal
was experimentally employed and investigated.

Keywords: Weldability, Cast Iron, Experiment Investigation, Improvement, Welding Factor

1. Introduction
Welding is currently used for fabrication and construction
of a variety of structures such as buildings, bridges, ships,
offshore structures, boilers, storage tanks, pressure vessels,
pipelines, automobiles and rolling stock. These structures use
various types of steels and cast irons suitable for their
specific applications. Different metals inherently possess
different weld ability. Some metals are readily wieldable, but
some are difficult to weld like cast iron.( KitaShinagawa,2011, Arc Welding of Specific Steels and Cast
Irons). Cast iron is a generic term describing a variety of
iron-base alloys containing 1.7% to 4.5% carbon. The high
carbon content of cast iron increases welding difficulty
compared to welding steels which possess lower carbon
content.
The most common cast irons are the gray irons although
malleable and nodular types are often encountered. Malleable
and nodular cast iron offer more ductility than gray iron since
they include a round graphite structure whereas gray iron
contains graphite in flake form which results in brittleness.
Because welding on these cast irons does create undesirable

metallurgicalchanges in the heat-affected zone, every

procedure imaginable has been written for cast iron welding
( AMPCO Metal Excellence in engineering Alloys). The
differential gear is a functional component of the automobile
power train and is composed of the differential case and ring
gear.
Differential gear compensates the trace difference between
in-corner wheel and out-corner wheel, while an automobile
turns a corner, and enables normal driving. The power train
of the automobile delivers engine power to the automobile
wheel. Due to this property, it should have good tensional
stiffness, wear resistance and fatigue strength.( KitaShinagawa, 2011)
Carburized steel is also used for the ring gear of a power
train. However, since these two base materials contain high
carbon content, the weld ability is not good. In case of cast
iron, because of inherent brittleness of the cast iron and the
effect of weld thermal cycle on the metallurgical structure of
the cast iron, it is difficult to be welded. The weld ability of
cast iron with more than 0,2% carbon is usually considered to
be poor. Hence, gray cast iron with more than 0.3% carbon
are difficult to weld and many steel suppliers will actually

Science Discovery 2015; 3(6): 71-75

recommend
against
welding(
Welding
of
Tool
Steel).(AlexanderGrant Paleocrassas, 2005).
Grey Cast Iron, Carbon is present asGraphite flakes
distributed throughout, when it is fractured, the exposed
surface of metal has gray appearance, and this dispersion of
Graphite flakes provides good internal, lubricating property
hence excellent machinability and vibration damping
characteristics. It has poor tensile strength and ductility, It
posses good compressive strength, wear resistance and
corrosion resistance, Commonly used for machine bodies,
engine blocks, pumps and motor housings, etc.( Hidetoshi
Fujii, 2009).
1.1. Statement of the Problem
Most automobile components are manufactured from cast
iron materials. Gray cast irons lack ductility because of the
flake form graphite. This type of cast iron is named from the
gray appearance of a fractured surface. In case of cast iron,
because of inherent brittleness of the cast iron and the effect
of weld thermal cycle on the metallurgical structure of the
cast iron, undesirable metallurgical changes in the heataffected zone it is difficult to be welded.
1.2. Scope of the Paper
-Conducting the experiment using Arc and TIG Welding
process.
-Identity the impact of alloying elements, combinations of
base material and filler materials, amount heat for welding of
gray cast iron.

2. Objective
Investigate the important factors governing Weld ability of
gray cast iron and develop improving methods.
Specific Objective
-investigate welded ability of grey cast iron Improve and
-identify the important factors governing weld ability of

72

gray cast iron. Such as influence of alloying elements,

combinations of base material and filler materials and edge
preparation for welding and to develop weld ability
improvement methods and increasing productivity of
automobile industry.

3. Methodology
3.1. Experimental Procedure
In this study, 3mm thick commercial gray cast iron plates
were successfully applied for arc welded at a temperature
lower than the melting temperature of the base metal. The
optimized welding parameter was determined by comparing
the mechanical properties of the joints obtained under
different welding conditions. Also, the differences welding
variables of gray cast iron were investigated and discussed by
comparing the pervious results. Gray cast iron samples of
size 250 mm 250 mm 3 mm were obtained Stringer or
weave techniques can be used in depositing the weld bead,
though weaving should be kept to within three times the
electrode core diameter. For Manual metal arc welding was
employed to join the gray cast iron plates. The welding
current of 430-870 A, A.C/Dc, with a root gap of 1.5-3.5 mm
was used in order to obtain a good weld penetration. Nickel
and Nickel-iron types electrode without preheating and, Cast
iron and steel electrodes must be used withoutand with high
preheats (530C) temperatures. Figure shows the joint design
(Fig. 1 a) and electrode angle of 70 with respect to the top
surface of the plates (Fig. 1 b). The welding speed used for
the unpreheated and preheated pieces with a 58 % Nickel and
Nickel-iron and Cast iron and steel electrodes was 17 cm/min
and 23 cm/min respectively, and the speed for the 98% Ni
was 19.2 cm/min and 15.6 cm/min respectively. In order to
establish the effects of preheating and annealing treatments,
three types of welding were performed. In the first case the
plates to be joined were preheated at 350 C and joined. In
the second case, the plates were joined.

Figure 1. Joint design and position of electrode. (a) Joint design. (b) Electrodes angle and beads scheme viewed from the front of the bead.

73

Alie Wube Dametew: IExperimental Investigation on Weld Ability of Cast Iron

Figure 1c. Welding bead deposition.

Without preheating and post heating. In the third case, the

plates joined without preheating were annealed at 870 C for
60 min. Samples were prepared from all as-welded and
treated plates by cutting it at its centers and polished as well
as etched using standard metallurgical procedure.
Photomicrographs were taken to analyze the microstructures
atvariouszones.Microhardnessvalueswereobtainedonthreedist
inguishedregionssuchasweld metal, fusion zone or melt
region and heat affectedzone(HAZ)usingauniversalmaterial
tester, under a load of 20KN. Yield and ultimate tensile
strengths ofall welded plateswereevaluatedby universaltensile
testingmachineata constantcrosshead speedof1mm/min.Both
hardness and strength values obtained are presented in table 1
3.2. Experimental Results
The influence of thermal treatments on Weldability of
Gray cast iron and comparison of weld quality obtained using
a low priced Fe-Ni electrode with that obtained using a pure
Ni electrode were carried Out in order to improve the
mechanical properties of welded joints.
Those thermal treatments would result in: (I) relieving

residual stress, (II) diminishing the cooling rate and (III)

increasing the fluidity and diffusion of the molten material.
3.3. Ni and Fe-Ni Electrode Results
Figure 2 a shows a photomicrograph of the as welded weld
joint obtained with a 57.2 % Nickel electrode without
preheating and cooled in air. Three regions are shown clearly
in the figure. The HAZ is observedto be a nodular ferrite
pearlitic structure (dark matrix) very similar to the parent
metal structure. The dispersed dark flakes correspond to
graphite concentrations and had hardness of 380 HV. The
hardness of the parent metal is found to be 320 HV. The MR
contains an acicular structure or needle like structure having
hardness of 618 HV (268 % higher than that of the parent
material). It also has some smaller graphite flakes. From the
tensile test, cracks were observed in MR which could be due
to its higher fragile character. It is clear from the figure that
weld metal contains a brilliant matrix of nickel containing
smaller graphite sphere lites compared with that in the parent
metal and has hardness value of 210 HV.

Figure 2a. Optical photomicrographs of theweld joint welded and treated at different conditions: (a) as-welded with 58 % Ni-Fe electrode.

Science Discovery 2015; 3(6): 71-75

74

Figure 2b. Optical photomicrographs of theweld joint welded and treated at different conditions: (b) as-welded with 98 % Ni electrode.

Figure 2 b shows a typicalmicrostructure of the weld joint

welded with a 98 % Ni electrode without preheating. From
the figure it is found that the HAZ is visually darker due to
less amount of ferriticmatrix structure resulting from the
dissolution of ferrite in nickel. The hardness of HAZ was
found to be 330 HV (143 % higher than that of parent metal)
and was very close to the hardness value of HAZ obtained
using Fe-Ni electrodes. From the figure it is found that the
MR contains several long needles acicular structures (ferriticpearlitic structures) combined with some small needle
acicular structures (marten site). It was found that the amount
of marten site present was lesser than that was present in MR
of previous weld joint obtained using Fe-Ni electrode which
was also confirmed with its corresponding hardness value of

480 HV. From the figure it is found that the weld bead
contains ferritic-pearlitic structure with a high concentration
of small graphite flakes distributed uniformly in the matrix
resulting due to the dissolution of graphite in nickel. From
table I it is found that the weld metal hardness value is less.
Though the bead had higher ductility due to the uniform
distribution of graphite flakes fragile fracture cracks were
observed in the MR which would be due to the higher
hardness value of marten site present.
3.4. Effects of Preheating
A minimum preheat of 200C is recommended, but 315C
is generally used.

Table 1. Mechanical ,Thermal Property of Materials and the effect of Heat treatment.
Type of
treatment

No pre
heating
350 pre
heating
870 pre
heating
Without

Electrode type

Fe-Ni
98% Fe-Ni
Fe-Ni
98% Fe-Ni
Fe-Ni
98% Fe-Ni
Cast iron
Electrode

Ultimate
tensile

Yield
limit

strength

(Mpa)

(Mpa)
520
400
480
340
420
398
-

460
360
410
335
350
350
475

%
elongation

8
11
12
13
15
16
335

Hardness of weld joint

Place of

MR

Bead

HAZ

618
480
330
305
260
250
7

210
180
180
190
183
175
-

360
330
240
235
187
180
230

Failure

MR
MR
MR
Bead region
Bead region
Bead region
-

Figure 2c. Optical photomicrographs of theweld joint welded and treated at different conditions :(c) preheated and as-welded with 58 % Ni-Fe electrode (d)
welded with 98 % Ni-electrode and annealed.

75

Alie Wube Dametew: IExperimental Investigation on Weld Ability of Cast Iron

From table I it is evident that when thermal treatments

were performed, the elongation is increased and hardness is
decreased in all regions irrespective of the type of electrode
used. Figure 2 c) shows a photomicrograph of the weld bead
obtained with 58 % Ni electrode at preheated condition.
Thebrilliant metallic matrix observed in the HAZ and in the
parent material, indicates the dissolution of graphite in
nickel. An open pearlitic structure inside an austenitic matrix
grew in that region. Nevertheless, graphite in the HAZ was
dissolved and small dots were observed instead of flake
structures. The width of the MR is also decreased due to
nickel contribution and its structure is found to be a pearlitic
structure in the austenitic matrix. A laminar structure was
observed at higher magnification. The (weld metal) bead
region has smaller spheroidal graphite than that of parent
material. Hardness obtained in the HAZ was 249 HV, very
similar to the hardness value of the parent material.
The ductility was increased twice and the rest of values
were very similar. The mode of failure observed from tensile
test was found to be ductile in the bead. Figure 2 d) shows
the typical microstructure of a welded cast iron using a 98%
Ni electrode at preheated condition. It is observed that the
concentration of pearlitic structure in MR is decreased.
Graphite in form of smaller spherolytes grew in the bead
region and got distributed uniformly. This decreasing of the
pearlitic structure concentration and the smaller spherolyte
forms maybe due to nickel metal, which absorbs carbon,
dissolving it in its metallic matrix From table I it is found that
the ductility is increased to 14 % and hardness diminished. It
is also found that the yield limit is not affected significantly.
3.5. Post Heating Results
Marten site in the HAZ may be tempered to a lower
strength or a more ductile structure during post weld heat
treatment, or it may be totally eliminated by ensuring very
slow cooling rates after welding. An Optimum Aluminum
Addition exhibits substantial graphitization and reduced
hardness.

4. Conclusions
Gray cast iron plates were welded using two different
electrodes at three different conditions and its effects were
analyzed. The following conclusions were arrived at:
-High purity Nickel electrodes showed a better Weldability
from enhanced ductility due to lower acicular structures
formed and better uniform distribution of graphite in the
bead. These electrodes have been used with or without
preheating and/or post weld heat treatment.
-Cast iron electrodes also showed a better Weldability.-The
preheating treatment increases the ductility of the welded
piece through minimizing hard and fragile microstructures
and improves Weldability of gray cast iron. -A post heat
treatment can be substituted for the preheating treatment
which also improves the ductility of the base metal.

Acknowledgements
I would like to thanks very much for Aram 1, Levon
Aghasyan1, Yeghiasaryan2, Silva Amiryan2,*1Institute of
Zoology of National Academy of Sciences of Armenia,
Yerevan, Armenia2Yerevan State University, Yerevan,
Armenia, detail and wonderful reviewing and amazing
feedback of the paper to increases scientific acceptance and
strength of the paper. The author also wishes to thank the
support from the sciencepublishinggroup.com//j/sr under
grants ISSN: 2329-0935 (Print); ISSN: 2329-0927 (Online).

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